Water Warrior Mackinaw ride raises money for Special Olympics Michigan

Published On: Dec 19 2012 10:09:30 AM EST

WATERFORD, Mich. -

A Waterford family says they are ready to ride the entire length of Lake Huron to help raise money for the Special Olympics.

It's all part of the Water Warriors Mackinaw Ride that runs from Monday July 23 through July 27th.

Brian and Roxanne Rollison heard about the ride that changes lives and decided to take part this year.

The Rollisons have four children, including their 16-month old son Preston, who was born with Down syndrome.

There is a minimum commitment to raise $1,500 dollars to participate in the event and Brian has already surpassed that amount.

Roxanne Rollison said, “We want to start Preston in the Special Olympics Michigan Young Athletes® Program when he is three. We will be involved with Special Olympics Michigan the rest of our lives, so there is no better time to start getting involved than now. When we went to our first Water Warriors meeting in May, you could just tell how passionate the Water Warriors are about athletes and we are excited to be a part of the group. We hope to get other friends involved in the future.”

The endurance ride raises money for Special Olympics Michigan athletes. There are food, fuel and overnight stops in many communities along the way. The Water Warriors will also provide short, fun rides to Special Olympics Michigan athletes on Sunday, July 22 at 5 p.m. in the harbor area in Mackinaw City and on Wednesday, July 25 at 5 p.m. near the park in Port Austin.

The Water Warriors are a dedicated group of men and women from a variety of backgrounds, who dedicate a week away from work and other obligations, to raise money and awareness for children and adults in Michigan with intellectual disabilities who benefit from Special Olympics Michigan programs. The group of 60 members is made up of about 25 riders along with water and land support crew members. The riders follow three lead boats for safety.

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